Sanvitalia plant named ‘Wessacomp’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Sanvitalia  plant named ‘Wessacomp’, characterized by its compact and mostly upright, low mounding plant habit; small dark green-colored leaves; freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy plant form; freely flowering habit; and bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Sanvitalia speciosa.

Variety denomination: ‘Wessacomp’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofSanvitalia plant, botanically known as Sanvitalia speciosa andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Wessacomp’.

The new Sanvitalia was discovered by the Inventor in 2002 as anaturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Sanvitalia speciosacultivar Aztekengold, not patented, in a controlled environment inSüdlohn, Germany. Specifically, the claimed plant originated as acutting from the cultivar ‘Aztekengold’ that exhibited desirable,mutated characteristics. The new Sanvitalia was selected by the Inventoron the basis of its compact plant habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new Sanvitalia by vegetative cuttings wasfirst conducted in Südlohn, Germany in 2002. Asexual reproduction byvegetative cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newSanvitalia are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Wessacomp has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Wessacomp’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Wessacomp’ as a new and distinct Sanvitalia:

-   -   1. Compact and mostly upright, low mounding plant habit.    -   2. Small dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Freely branching habit and short internodes; dense and bushy        plant form.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Compared to plants of the parent, the cultivar Aztekengold, plants ofthe new Sanvitalia are more compact, more upright and have shorterinternodes.

Plants of the new Sanvitalia can be compared to plants of the Sanvitaliacultivar Santanis, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,924. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, The Netherlands, plantsof the new Sanvitalia differed from plants of the cultivar Santanis inthe following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sanvitalia were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Santanis.    -   2. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had shorter internodes than        plants of the cultivar Santanis.    -   3. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had smaller leaves than plants        of the cultivar Santanis.

Plants of the new Sanvitalia can also be compared to plants of theSanvitalia cultivar Wessastar, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,799.In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Südlohn, The Netherlands,plants of the new Sanvitalia differed from plants of the cultivarWessastar in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Sanvitalia were more compact than plants of        the cultivar Wessastar.    -   2. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had shorter internodes than        plants of the cultivar Wessastar.    -   3. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had smaller leaves than plants        of the cultivar Wessastar.    -   4. Plants of the new Sanvitalia had smaller sepals than plants        of the cultivar Wessastar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Sanvitalia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newSanvitalia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Wessacomp’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Wessacomp’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Südlohn, Germany, under commercialpractice during the spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse withday temperatures ranging from 20 to 25° C. and night temperaturesranging from 16 to 18° C. Plants used for the photographs and botanicaldescription were grown in 10-cm containers for about 20 weeks.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Sanvitalia speciosa cultivar Wessacomp.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Sanvitalia speciosa cultivar Aztekengold, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 16 days at 18° C.            Winter: About 18 days at 18° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—Summer: About 26 days            at 18° C. Winter: About 28 days at 18° C.        -   Root description.—Fine; vigorous, freely branching; white in            color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Compact and mostly upright; low mounding plant            habit. Freely branching with two lateral branches developing            at every node; indeterminate growth habit; moderately            vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 7 to 10 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 9 to 10 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 5.3 cm. Diameter: About            1.3 mm. Internode length: About 8.3 mm. Strength: Moderately            strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color: 146D overlain            with a mixture 166A, 187A and 187B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple;            decussate; sessile. Length: About 2.1 cm. Width: About 8 mm.            Shape: Lanceolate to elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Cordate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Pubescent. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing            foliage, upper surface: 137A. Developing foliage, lower            surface: 138B. Mature foliage, upper surface: 147A overlain            with a mixture of 166A, 187A and 187B. Mature foliage, lower            surface: 147C. Venation, upper surface: 145C overlain with            166A. Venation, lower surface: 145C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated            oblong-shaped ray florets. Solitary inflorescences borne on            terminals above foliage. Disc and ray florets develop            acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences persistent.            Inflorescences not fragrant.        -   Quantity.—Freely flowering; one terminal inflorescence per            lateral branch.        -   Flowering response.—Early flowering, plants begin to flower            about four weeks after planting unrooted cuttings. Plants            flower continuously from April until frost in the Autumn in            the garden.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about three to four weeks on the plant.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 2.9 mm. Diameter: About            4.1 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 146A occasionally overlain            with 187A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 1.6 cm. Depth (height):            About 5 mm. Diameter of disc: About 6 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 13 ray florets per            inflorescence arranged in a single whorl. Orientation:            Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical and            reflexing with subsequent development. Length: About 5.5 mm.            Width: About 2.3 mm. Shape: Elongated oblong. Apex: Rounded            to obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Color: When            opening and fully opened, upper surface: 12A to 17A. When            opening and fully opened, lower surface: 144B to 151A.        -   Disc florets.—Quantity/arrangement: About 120 disc florets            per inflorescence massed at center of receptacle. Length:            About 1.5 mm. Width: At apex, about 1 mm; at base, less than            1 mm. Shape: Tubular; minute. Apex: Five-pointed. Color,            immature: 144A. Color, mature: 153A.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity/arrangement: About five to seven in a            single whorl. Length: About 4.8 mm. Width: About 3.1 mm.            Shape: Rounded. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 146A to 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Moderately strong; wiry. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: 145B overlain with a mixture of 166A, 187A            and 187B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Stamen quantity: Five per floret. Anther length: About            1.2 mm. Anther diameter: About 0.3 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.            Anther color: 17A. Filament length: About 2.4 mm. Filament            color: 155D. Pollen amount: Moderate to scarce. Pollen            color: 17A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets.            Pistil quantity: One per floret. Pistil length: About            2.8 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 17B. Style            length: About 1.4 mm. Style color: 17D. Ovary color: 146D to            145A.        -   Seed.—Length: About 2.1 mm. Diameter: About 1.3 mm. Shape:            Ovate to reniform. Color: 195A.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Sanvitalias has not been observed on plants grown under commercial    greenhouse conditions.-   Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Sanvitalia have been observed    to have good garden performance and have been observed to be    tolerant to rain, wind and temperatures from 2 to 30° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Sanvitalia plant named ‘Wessacomp’, as illustrated and described. 